Car-load brace



B. S. GALLUP.

CAR LOAD BRACE- APPLICATION man OCT. 3|. 1919. 1,358,724..

RENEWED SEPT. 29, I920- B. S. GALLUP.

CAR LOAD BRACE.

APPLlCAIlON FILED 0CT.3I, 1919. RENEWED SEPT.29, 1920. 7

1,358,724. PatentedN ov. 16,1920.

2 SHEETS- SVHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN S. GALLUIP, 0F HAMMOND, LOUISIANA.

CAR-LOAD BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Application filed. October 31, 1919, Serial No. 334,702. RenewedSeptember 29, 1920. Serial No. 413,635.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. GALLUP, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the parish ofTangipahoa and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Load Braces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to car-load braces, and consists of an improveddevice of the character mentioned which is adapted to efficiently andpositively maintain a load of articles in place during transportation,irrespective of the shape and size of the load, or the nature of thearticles of which it may consist.

While retaining some features of my earlier form of load-brace, as shownin Patent No. 1,187,898, issued to me on June 20, 1916, and on which itis an improvement, the present device is characterized by the use of asingle bracing element for the entire load, in the form of a gate, asdistinguished from the several individual tier-braclng members made useof in the earlier form of the device above'referred to. The number ofparts necessary in individual tier-bracing is thus materially reduced,and only such support ing and securing means required as are essentialto the proper operation of the gate.

The present invention further comprises improved supporting and take-upmeans for the upper end of the load-bracing member which, in addition tomaintaining the gate in constant binding relation to the load,notwithstanding shifting of the latter during transit, will readilypermit the gate when not in use to be swung up against the car ceilingand moved freely together with its supporting and take-up means ineither direction length-wise of the car.

It is also desired to provide a device of the character mentioned whichis so con. structed as to permit of its being readily positionedrelative to the load should the same be high and extend close to themiddle of the car, the gate being transversely hinged substantiallymidway of its height for this purpose; Further means are provided formaintaining the gate rigid when so desired.

Another object is to provide novel means for adjustably securing thelower end of the bracing member or gate against the load, use being madefor this purpose of a mechanism similar in principle to that of theupper gate securing means.

With the above and other objects in view as will readily appear uponconsideration of the following description, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, my

invention consists of the parts, and construction and combination ofparts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, reference being hadto the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of arefrigerator car showing the device in front elevation as it appears inoperative position with relation to a load of stacked crates;

Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a car, theoperative positions of the load b'race and its attachments with relationto the load of crates being clearly shown;

Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevational view of the upper portion of thegate with its hinged joint, and the automatic take-updevice, certainparts thereof being broken away forsake of clear'ness;

Fig. 4C, a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 8, which showsclearly the interior construction of the gate hanger and the relation ofthe other parts of the device thereto;

Fig. 5, a side elevational view of the device with the gate swung upagainst the car ceiling in the position in which it is kept when not inuse, parts of the device being broken away for sake of clearness;

Fig. 6, a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, showing in frontelevation, the

' means for securing the lower end of the gate in the position shown inFig. 5;

Fig. 7 a fragmentary front elevational view of the locking means formaintaining the gate rigid at the hinged joint, when so desired;

Fig. 8, an enlarged front elevational view of the means for securing thelower end of the gate; V

Fig. 9, a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 10, a sectional view taken on line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the attached drawings, in which like numerals indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the loadbracing gateis shown as consisting of vertical members 1 and cross members 2,forming the gate frame upon the inner face of which is secured a seriesof slats 3. Vertical members 1 extend above the main gate structure, andare provided at their upper extremities with certain novel supportingand takenp means adapted to connect the gate with supporting rails or'tracks 4; fromwhich; it is suspended. Rails l are held in properposition adjacent the carceiling by means of suitable brackets 5 at eachend thereof, said rails being of sufiicient length to extend asubstantial distance toward the ends of the I canon each side of thecenter thereof.

Thesnpporting and take-up devices above.

' referred to are'designed to operate-on the mentioned.

same principle as the devices for this purpose described in mypatent'here nbefore In the present IlGVICG, each of the rails l isprovided with a main dog 6 v and a take-up or spring dog 7, both ofwhich are slidably and adjustably mounted thereon. Interposed betweensaid. dogs, is a spiral spring 8, the same being'a'ttached to dogf6 at apoint immediately beneath the rail l and to spring dog"? at its lowereX- 'asis the casewhen the gate is in operative "position against theface of the load.

Main dog 6 is connected to the gate by means of a chain section 10, oneend of the chain being-connected to the lower endof 7 said dog, whilethe opposite end is attached to eye-bolt 11 secured in the upper end" ofv A hangerl2,,ot inverted U-it'orm incross- 1 "section. partiallyincloses dog 6, said hanger member 1 of the gate;

straddling rail l on whichitisadapted' to travel in either-direction bymeans otrollers 13; Dogfi is adapted to-travel back along tracks a.

7 andforth in unison with hanger 12, aswill be hereinafterexplained.Spreader member iby reason of the angle at which rod 24 14: servestomaintain the depending sides of hanger-12in proper positionrelative tothe partsinclosed therein, so as not to interfere with the properfunctioning-of the latter. Each hanger 12 is further provided with a pin15 near its lower edge with which hooks 16 on the upper ends of members1 of the gateare adapted to engage in order to support saidgatejmdependent of'dogs6,"preliniinary to swinging the gate into itshori- 50- Zontal position against the car-ceilingwhen not in use,,or forthe purpose ot-inovmg the gate supporting and take-up ,mean's Lugs 17are provided, projecting inwardly vfrom the sides of hanger 12 and so-posi-.

tioned'withrelation to dogfi as tocausethe latter to slide freely onrailfl upon the r movement of hanger 12 in either direction.

fWhile placed sufficiently close to the faces 2 60 -runisontvithhanger1-2. said lugs arenot ofldog 6 as" to'causethe'latterto move in so close as to interfere with the slight pivotalmovement of the dog necessary to its binding action on rail 4, as whenth'e'parts ,vof thQf dQVICQ- Q. secured in operative: position relativeto .the load. il /leans are also provided to enable dog 7 to bemovedalong rail with hanger 1-2 and dog 6' without 'IllOSt cornersthereof, said devices being adapted to coiiperate for this purpose withangle irons or rails 20 extending along and suitably secured-to eachside otthecar,

will be hereinafter. explained. i Each 01" said clutch or grip devicescomprises a iinge member 21, see Fig.,9,;having one hali thereofsuitably attached to a beveled portion22 on the face of lowercrossmember 2 of the gate. The outeror free halt of member 21 projects beyondthe side of the gate, and is provided near -its out'er end with hole 23adapted to receive a grip rod2 l; Said rod-24c is bent at one end toform ahookfportion 25adapted to engage with a series of holes 26 in theupper face of rail 20, and is provided'at its opposite end with an eyeportion 28 which serves to prevent hinge 21 from accidentallyslippingon. the grip rod at that end, Thefreeend oi hinge member 21 isof such length that when grip rod 21% engages with one of the axis ofthe car. Thus, it will be seen that stands,; and the slightly bentposition '01" hinge member 21, du'e'ato said hinge memioo her beingmounted on beveled face 22, any 1 movement of the lower end of the gateaway from the loadwill immediately causethe free end of hinge 21 totightly grip or -b1nd upon rod 2a. TlllS gripping or bind ingactionisfacilitated and quickenedjby on beveled face- 22, as Willreadi-ly beunder- Although not essenti al to the operation of the-device, the gateis shown in the drawings as provided with-a hinged jointsubstantially'midway of its height, the upper and lower'sections ofmembers 1 of the gate, on

to the load, should the latter be unusually high and extend close tothe-centerof the Locking means-are'provided'aon the outer reason ofhingemember- 21 being mounted face of each gate member 1 opposite hinge28, for maintaining the gate in its normally rigid form. A buckle 29,pivotally secured in the lower end of member 30, which is suitablysecured to the upper section of member 1, serves to engage with hookportion 31 of member 32, attached to the lower section of member 1, thusmaintaining the lower section of the gate in line with the uppersection. Suficient space is allowed between the abutting ends of theupper and lower gate sections to permit buckles 29 to be readily slippedover hooks 31. Button 33, pivotally secured to the face of member 1,co-acts with hook portion 31 of member 32 to prevent buckle 29 fromdisengaging from said hook portion, as when the gate is swung into itshorizontal position.

On the under face of lower member 2 of the gate, and directly beneathmembers 1, there are provided hook members 34, pivotally attached tomember 2 and adapted to serve as a means for supporting the lower end ofthe gate from tracks 4 in the horizontal position in which it is storedwhen not in use. Hooks 34 are attached to member 2, as shown in Fig.6,so as to allow a greater portion of the hook member to project below thepivot than above, whereby the lower end of the hook member is renderedheavier than the upper and the hook is always kept in a substantiallyupright position, whereby to readily engage with tracks 4 without manualadjustment. Maintenance of this position is further insured by thelocation of the pivotal point nearest the notched side of the hookmember 34 as shown. The upper beveled edge of the hook members alsofacilitate their engagement with said rails. The upper end of the gateis supported in this position by means of hooks 16 and hanger pins 15,as herelnbefore explained.

A hook 35 is secured to the car ceiling directly above each supportingrod 4 about midway the length of the car, said hook being adapted toengage its corresponding rod and prevent sagging and springing thereofwhen the bracing gate is hung thereon.

In the operation of the device, the same being illustrated as applied toa load of fruit crates, merely by way of illustration, said crates areloaded in the car and arranged in the usual manner shown in Figs. 1 and2, the device itself belng stored in its horizontal position adjacentthe car ceiling so as not to interferewith the loading operation. Thecar having been loaded, hooks 34 are disengaged from rails 4 and hooks16 from pins 15, and the gate lowered and positioned firmly against theface of the load. The hooked ends of rods 24 of the lower securing meansare then placed in the proper holes 26 in angle irons or rails 20, andthe free halves of hinge members 21 pushed up as far as possible on rods24, said members 21 serving, upon release, to firmly and positivelyclutch or grip rods 24, as hereinbefore explained.

To secure the upper end of the gate, chain sectlons 10 are first drawntaut by moving hanger 12 together with'dog 6 toward the load. Take-updogs 7 are then placed such den movement or jerking of the car, will bequickly and positively taken up through the gate by virtue of its beingconnected at its upper end with dogs 6 which in turn are continuallydrawn toward dogs 7 by means of the tensioned springs connecting thesame.

Due to the continuous action of the automatic take-up devices at theupper end of the gate, said gate will exert a leverage action againstthe face of the load with the upper part thereof acting as a fulcrum,there by tending to force the lower end of the gate outward. Any outwardmovement of the lower end of the gate will only serve to increase thegripping or binding action of hinge members 21 on grip rods 24, ashereinbefore explained, thus precluding any tendency of the gate to workloose at thelower end.

A similar load-bracing gate withits corresponding securing means areprovided to brace the load in the other end of the car.

This latter gate may be lowered from its horizontal position adjacentthe car ceiling and allowed to rest temporarily against the gatesecuring the braced load, in order to allow loading of the remainder ofthe cargo and the bracing thereof in the manner here.- inbeforeexplained.

In order to remove the gate from its op-.

erative position against the load, spring dogs 7 are first loosened andslid forward on rails 4 toward the gate, thereby permitting main dogs 6to be moved forward until the upper end of the gate is free from V hand,the lower securlng means may bereof thecar; tracks located in the upperper-- 4c What I desire to claim is removedfrom engagement with holes 26.

VThe upper securing'means may then be released, as above explained. V

During transit, when the load is comaressed' du to 'ar or im not the atewill i follow it up, dogs 6 being drawn to a greater or less extenttoward dogs 7' by movement of springs 8, thus mamta nmg the gate inconstant binding contact with the. load. In case the load should fail toresume its normal proportions after impact, the gate-will still securelybrace the same, due to thecontinual compensating action of retake-upsprings 8; Should the, load tend to expand dogs 6 willbe swung forwardat their lower ends by reason of their connections withthe 'gate,thereby causing "said dogs to clamp ;or'bind onsupporting rails: sandconsegate.'- a V The device, constructed as here nbefore described andexplalned; does'not require the quently prevent outward movementof theus of extraneous means, such as tools, nails,

etc., in order to operate the same, and may be readily manipulated'byone person'with no trouble whatever.

' 1.. A device 'otthe character described comprising the combinationwitha car, or a loadrbracing member adapted to be swung into and out ofa substantially verticalposition; means for securing the lower end ofsaid bracing member to the lower portion tion of the car; automatictake-up means interposed between the upper end of the bracing member andthe tracks, and adapted tomaintain said bracing member inconstantbindingrelation to; the load; and means, movably mounted on said tracks,

it'rom which the load-bracing member may be suspended independent ofsaid talre-up means. I l

A device of the character described, comprising the comblnation withacar, of

. a load-bracing member adapted'to be swung into and out ofasubstantially vertical position; means for pivotallysecuring the lowerend of said bracing member. to :the'lower "portionof the car;tracks'located in the upper portion of the car; automatic take'eup 7means interposed between the upper end 7 adapted to maintain saidbracing member in of the bracing member andthe tracks, and

constant binding relation to the load; hangers, movably Vmounted on saidtracks, from which the load bracingmember may be suspendedindependent ofthe take-up means;

. 3 and means iorcausing sa'id. takenp mean's v to move freely on saidtracks in unison with.

on said tracks; corresponding clutch members adjustably mounted on thetracks and adapted to engage therewith; elastic ten sion meansconnecting the last named clutch members with the corresponding suspen-vsion and clutch means and adapted through the latterto draw said bracingmember againstthe' load; hangers, movably mounted on said tracks, fromwhich. the bracing member may be suspended independent of saidsupportingiand clutch meansymeans provided on said hangers and adaptedto cause said supporting and clutch means and said clutch membersto movefreely on said tracks in unison with said hangers, when the bracingmember is suspended from the latter. 'r

4:. A' device of the character described, comprising the combinationwith a car, of a load-bracing member adapted to be swung into and out ofa substantially vertical position, said bracing member, being hingedtransversely substantially midway of its height; lockingfmeans' forsecuringv said bracing member in rigid form; means for pivotallyisecuring the lower end of said bracing member to the lower portion ofthe car; trackslocated in the upper portion of the" car; and automatictake-up means interposed between the upper end of the bracing member andthe tracks, and adapted to maintain saidbracing member in constantbinding relation to the'load.

'5. In a device otthe character described,

the combination of a car; tracks located'in *2 the upper portionthereof; aload-bracing justable tension mechanism interposed be 7 tweensaid "tracksand the upper end of the load-bracing member and; servlng todraw the upper-pornon'of sa d member against the load; 1 r

I "In a the-combination or a car; tracks located 1n the upper portionthereof; a loadbracing' 7 member; clutch mechanlsm fOYSQCHlHlg the lowerend of said bracing memberto the lower portion of the car; andadjustable "tension mechanisminterposed between said tracks and theupper end-of theload bracing "member and serving to draw the upper pervdeviceyof the character described,

tion oi said member against the load, there by actuating the clutchmechanism securing the lower end 0i said bracing member.

r. In a device or the character described, the combination of a car;tracks located in the upper portion thereof; a load-bracing member;clutch members provided on the lower end of said bracing member; railslocated in the lower portion of the car; grip rods, slidably mounted inthe ends of said clutch members, and with which said clutch members areadapted to engage; means for adjustably connecting the inner ends ofsaid grip rods and said rails; and adjustable tension mechanisminterposed between said tracks and the upper end oi the load-bracingmember and serving to draw the upper end of said member against theload.

- 8. In a load binder, the combination of a car; tracks located in theupper portion thereof; a load-bracing member; clutch members secured tothe lower end of said bracing member; rails located in the lower portionof the car; means interposed between said rails and the clutch members,with which the clutch members are adapted to engage; elastic tensionmechanism inter posed between the upper end of said loadbracing memberand said tracks and servingto maintain said bracing member in constantbinding relation to the load.

9. A device of the character described comprising the combination with acar, or tracks located in the upper portion thereof; a load-bracingmember; spring tension means interposed between the upper end of saidbracing member and the tracks and serving to maintain the bracing memberin constant binding relation to the load; and clutch mechanism forpivotally and adjustablysecuring the lower end of said bracing memberagainst the load.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a car,of tracks located in the upper portion thereof; a loadbracing memberadapted to be positioned against the face of the load; rails located inthe lower portion of the car; clutch mechanism interposed between saidrails and'the lower end of said bracing member for securing said end inplace, said clutch mechanism being adapted to be actuated upon outwardmovement of the lower end of the bracing member; tracks located in theupper portion of the car; and spring tension means interposed betweenthe upper end of the load-bracing member and said tracks and serving tomaintain the upper end of said bracing member in constant bindingrelation to the load.

11. A device of the character described, comprising the combination witha car, of a load-bracing member adapted to be swung into and out of asubstantially vertical position, said bracing member consisting of aplurality of sections transversely hinged together; locking means forsecuring said bracing member in rigid form; means for pivotally securingthe lower end of said bracing member to the lower portion of the car;tracks locatedin the upper portion of the car; and automatic takenpmeans interposed between the upper end of the bracing member and thetracks, and adapted to maintain said bracing member in constant bindingrelation to the load.

' In testimony whereof I have signed m name to this specification.

BENJAMIN S. GALLUP.

